What is Working America, and why are they so effective?

by Julie Hirschler

Working America is a non-profit community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, which unites workers who do not have a union. Founded in 2003, Working America  “makes sure that the priorities of working people, their families, and communities are heard from in state houses to the White House, from city councils and school boards to the halls of Congress.” 

Working America has traditionally gone door-to-door to offer good information on candidates and issues and provide an on-ramp for supporting policies that will improve the lives of working people. Through this work the group has:

• Won higher wages in cities across the country
• Taken action against the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal
• Fought for the rights of workers by opposing Right to Work legislation

Working America also conducts large-scale listening projects in key states. Its Front Porch Focus Group, for example, held thousands of conversations with voters in 2016 and then reported how people actually voted as well as how they felt about the economic future of their communities and other issues. 

Evidence-Based Tactics

Over time, Working America has developed a proven approach that gets great results! This approach includes:

1. A warming text followed by a series of persuasion texts

2. Personalized, nonpartisan letters and postcards that frame a particular issue and reach out to voters who may the writers’ personal experiences

3. Paid promotion of trusted news content on Facebook

4. Saturation-level communications via text, email, and Facebook ads for constituents who joined Working America (which is free) during the canvas interactions

Analysis of 2020 Election

Working America has a long history of measuring the impact of its efforts, particularly its field-canvassing program. During the 2020 election cycle, the group conducted 14 randomized control tests (RCTs), which showed a total gain of nearly 500,000 votes in the Presidential race and targeted Senate races. These gains made a difference in election outcomes in several states as well as in the Presidential election.

Concord Indivisible is proud to partner with Working American for the 2022 mid-term elections. To learn more about our current letter-writing campaign, click HERE.